Journey Into Light (1951) User Reviews

A bit old fashioned but enjoyable.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 13 October 2016]

When the film begins, John (Sterling Hayden) is a preacher in the middle of his Sunday morning service when into the church struggles his wife...drunk our of her skull! Not surprisingly, this causes problems with the elders and they push John to send her away for treatment. But he's a proud and foolish man and soon, without help, the wife is dead...from a suicide. Now John's bitter...so bitter he leaves the ministry and does so angrily. In fact, he's so angry that he's soon living on Skid Row...just another angry bum. So how can John reclaim his life and do something to turn around his awful life? See the film and find out for yourself.

Hayden is, as usual, excellent--which comes as no surprise. As far as the plot goes, it's one that worked well back in the less jaded early 1950s. Today, some might see the whole thing as a bit hokey...which is due, in part, to how jaded we've become over the years. I am NOT trying to be preachy myself here...just pointing out how attitudes have changed over the decades. Overall, I found it to be an interesting and earnest film...one worth seeing if you get a chance.

Viveca Lindfors voice like Ingrid Bergman

[howardmorley · 6/10 · 19 December 2016]

Yes if I had closed my eyes I could almost swear it was Ingrid Bergman speaking the female lead as the minister's blind daughter.Sterling Hayden usually played unsmiling granite face parts and this was no exception but I did see him smile once on the fairground ride as he accompanied Viveca.Thomas Mitchell crops up in many Hollywood films most notably as Gerald O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" (1939) and "It's Wonderful Life" (1946), the year of my birth.I believe one of the "bums" also was in the latter film as this actor made a speciality of playing these drunks/down and out parts.The film is about spiritual redemption for an ordained minister who loses his faith and has to come to terms with the death of his drunken wife, (who incidentally had a passing resemblance to the late Jennifer Jones in some scenes).

I found some scenes rather mawkish and over sentimental and found it hard to believe that an intelligent man could stoop so low as to reach the lowest rung on the social ladder.Tonight was my first viewing of this film courtesy of Youtube.com and I rated it 6/10.

A Riveting Sterling Hayden

[dglink · 7/10 · 24 November 2017]

A well intentioned, inspirational film, "Journey into Light" features a powerful performance by Sterling Hayden in an unlikely role. Tall, rugged, and imposing, Hayden had screen presence and was most memorable as tough guys in such films as "The Asphalt Jungle," "The Killing," and even "Dr. Strangelove." However, as fallen preacher John Burrows, Hayden excels and exposes a reflective depth; his voice and conviction when challenging religious hypocrisy should have put him in contention to play "Elmer Gantry."

An ordained minister, Burrows has an alcoholic wife, and the church elders want her confined to an institution for treatment. However, Burrows refuses, and he resigns from the congregation. However, his wife, already distraught from the deaths of two children and fearful of hindering her husband's ambitions, takes her own life. Devastated by the loss, thus begins Burrow's downward spiral, and he drifts across the country doing manual labor; and, although he does not drink, he ends up on skid row. Wrongly arrested, he meets con artist Gandy, colorfully played by he dependable Thomas Mitchell, and eventually finds shelter and purpose with a street preacher and his daughter Christine, played by Viveca Lindfors; unfortunately, Lindfors does not convince as a blind woman, and she is an uncomfortable match for the formidable Hayden.

Directed by Stuart Heisler from a screenplay by Stephanie Nordli and Irving Shulman, which was based on a story by Anson Bond, "Journey into Light" covers familiar territory, but Hayden's earnest performance sheds fresh light. His mesmerizing speeches when challenging peddlers of religion fixate both his on-screen and off-screen audiences; perhaps Hayden, a stubborn individualist, was expressing his own beliefs and convictions. The generally fine cast, which not only includes Oscar winner Mitchell, but also boasts another Oscar winner, Jane Darwell, and the distinguished H. B. Warner. Although the film teeters at times on the corny and overly sentimental, edging into Frank Capra territory, "Journey into Light" will delight Sterling Hayden fans with its unique role for the tough under-appreciated actor.

Was There Ever Any Doubt?

[boblipton · 5/10 · 21 February 2024]

When Pastor Sterling Hayden's wife kills herself, he loses all faith in G*d, abandons his comfortable suburban parish and winds up on the Bowery. He's mentored by sly Thomas Mitchell, who collects commissions from every bum. He thinks he sees great possibilities in Hayden .... by his standards. But when kindly Ludwig Donath and his blind daughter, Viveca Lindfors, rescue him and give him a job as janitor at their mission, he drifts into an armed truce with G*d.

Hayden grumbles his way through the role, with most of the interest being provided by the bums, including H. B. Warner, Jane Darwell, Paul Guilfoyle, Billie Bird, and O. Z. Whitehead. For a trained cleric, Hayden keeps making theologically unsound arguments in a very unpleasant way. However we can be certain that under the direction of Stuart Heisler, things will turn out as ordained.

A Real Curate's Egg

[richardchatten · 8/10 · 5 February 2017]

This independent production could easily be taken for one of those semi-professional cinematic Sunday school sermons intended for church halls were it not for the menacing presence of Sterling Hayden in the lead and the contradictory visual stimuli of Elwood Bredell's crisp, unsparing documentary-style photography of skid row (Weegee, no less, was a technical consultant on the film), yet populated by an extraordinary collection of familiar Hollywood faces ranging from H.B.Warner to former Keystone Kop Hank Mann. (John Berkes, who is a standout as the piano-playing Racky, died shortly after the production wrapped.)

After feeling that both God and his congregation have forsaken him by abandoning his alcoholic wife to a miserable fate, the Reverend Hayden angrily rejects both, tears off his dog collar and spends a remarkable amount of the film's relatively short running time scraping ignominiously along the lower depths of Los Angeles while vehemently badmouthing God at every opportunity. This being Hollywood during the early fifties, surely he's eventually going to regain his faith and it will all end upliftingly? It sure takes him a long time, and comes suspiciously abruptly!

A Tale of Faith

[danldhatu · 9/10 · 20 June 2002]

The Hollywood film industry has often been accused of ignoring the issue of religious faith. This is probably not because (as some people no doubt think) that the film industry is filled full of Godless Satanists. Rather, it is because filmmakers simply do not wish to offend.

Here is a rare film that has a clergyman as a protagonist. Sterling Hayden portrays the Pastor who has a very deep crisis of faith after his alcoholic wife commits suicide. He finds his way to and around skid row. His Journey is a path to a redemption that he has not actually been seeking.

Thomas Mitchell is great in this as well. Actually, he's doing his Doc Boone act from STAGECOACH all over again.

Journey Into Light - Leads into Interesting Territory

[krocheav · 8/10 · 8 January 2019]

Journey Into Light - Leads into Interesting Territory 7-1-19 (REV final) This little independent movie belies its merge budget - if movie makers can almost convince you they had more funds available than they actually did, then this movie is a case in point - proving what can be achieved when everyone involved had a belief in their product and tirelessly worked for the good of a common outcome. Who is this fine writer, Anson Bond? (also co-producer) what gave him the insights to create such a compelling screen story - displaying a talent for better than average dialog and situations. He and producer Joseph Bernhard also managed to call together a fine professional cast - all who work hard at lifting this curious story well above its station. Director Stuart Heisler ('The Glass Key' '42) along with talented director of photography Elwood Bredell ("The Killers '46) develop a final look that makes for quite impressive viewing.

The always interesting stone-faced Sterling Hayden adds power to his painfully traumatised ex Minister's character - suddenly finding himself guilt ridden and vehemently challenging God for his wife's death. Spiralling downhill fast & eventually, tormentedly languishing on skid row - quite powerful stuff. Lovely and still quite new to America, Viveca Lindfors adds a touch of style to her supportive but physically restricted sympathiser's role. Always professional Thomas Mitchell sparks things up with his down-and-out but protective con-man antics. Other above-average support players complete the necessary professional back up. This is the kind of impressive effort that should be held up as an example of how to successfully bring in a low cost picture - rather than certain other examples we often see being touted by critics and Hollywood types.

If anything possibly holds this one back it might be the somewhat sudden ending - showing us the budget simply didn't allow for achieving any further development of characters or situations (of course the fact that the HOUAA were hounding Mr Hayden all the way through making the picture would have added heavily to this) It's a minor classic waiting to be discovered by all lovers of off-beat cinema gems. Looks even better the second time around. Would be good to see a quality DVD made available.

A wonderful story. .

[kilroy3211 · 10/10 · 26 November 2000]

Journey into Light was the best movie I have ever seen. The title fits perfectly. This is as good a movie as I have ever seen. The story of a minister and his fall and rise from grace. I can think of no more to say. The actor, Sterling Hayden, played the part as it should be played.

I have been searching since the late 50's for it. If it is on tape who do I contact to get it made. I > will appreciate any help you can give me

How deep can you fall? It doesn't matter. By grace you can fall forever.

[clanciai · 10/10 · 9 February 2018]

A shabby story from skid row about bums and fallen women and sanctimonious slum missions where Sterling Hayden repeatedly falls down into the gutter and stays there, turns out to be a universally interesting and overwhelmingly good story. There are moments in this film that you will remember forever.

He is not a fallen priest. It's not his fault that his wife after two stillborns turns alcoholic and ruins his life and position to crown it all with a bloody suicide, which turns him naturally enough not only away from God but against God, so that he associates with the bottom layer of society, with Thomas Mitchell in a perfect role for him as an honest con man, as the desperate man has nothing else to do.

The most touching and human scene of all, among the many in this deeply human film, is when the preacher can't lead the service as Viveca Lindfors, his daughter who saves the show, is in coma at the hospital, so Sterling has no choice but to stand up as leading preacher himself for the first time since his wife committed suicide. He does it reluctantly and with great hesitation, he almost stumbles up at the pulpet, but then something happens in the congregation. Dirty old men, beggars, loafers and what not are all touched by the moment of crisis at the critical condition of the girl they all love, so they all, in various ways, fall down to prayer, one bum leading the heart-rending reaction.

But there are many moments like this. Some moods in this film remind you of Chaplin's "City Lights" and other such extremely poetical films, for this is cinematic poetry caught and set in realism. Vittorio de Sica couldn't have done it better. You will never forget this film.